Bristol this week - advice?

[colinspooky]

As it says, I am at Bristol this week - yay.

Any advice on what to do in the area on day's off?

And what to do and look out for at the track. Would hate someone to say "oh you should have gone here and done this" after we get back.

Gratefully received.

:D

[Alexamateo]

Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park are only 2-3 hours away, and if you are into kitsch , there's always Dollywood, a theme park owned by Dolly Parton. :D

[71Fan]

Being a west coaster I got no idea other than don't forget the earplugs. Especially for the little ones.

[colinspooky]

Think Dollywood is closed - opens in April.

No little ones - yay.

[71minus2]

Earplugs = a must! Its LOUD. Louder than i expected.

Get there early and you can get to see the pre race show from outside the track. When I went this was just behind the merchandise trucks on the front stretch side of the track. Won a Speed t shirt for traveling the furthest to get to the race too!

Be prepared to walk a long way. Especially if you arrive by bus and, like me, seated on the back stretch.

Buy a seat cushion. My arse was asleep mid way through the Nationwide race so i popped out and bought one.

Where are you staying? I was in Knoxville which was ok but not a lot to do.

[Mark in Oshawa]

There isn't no unique anything in that part of the world unless you want to just be there for the race days, and get in early and go down 3 or 4 hours down into Charlotte and do the raceshops before driving back west to Bristol. Most of the interesting things to do in the south that are truly noteworthy are not open this time of year or are a few hours a way. I would look up webpages of the major cities in the area and hit the tourist links.

Chattanooga is an interesting town I think, but again, 3 hours or so from Bristol...Knoxville is an hour and change....and if you go up into Virginia, there is nothing of note until you are further up I-81 into the Shendandoah....

[harvick#1]

how far is Lynchburg from the track, you can always tour the old Jack Daniels Distillery

[Alexamateo]

Maybe a whitewater rafting trip :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RRdRGkmszI

[Alexamateo]

how far is Lynchburg from the track, you can always tour the old Jack Daniels Distillery

Fantastic tour, but it's about 5 and a half hours away.

[slorydn1]

You can come visit me- I am only 6.5 hours away :up:

[Alexamateo]

To visit me you wouldn't have to leave the state, I'm only 500 miles away. :D :s pin:

[Mark in Oshawa]

To visit me you wouldn't have to leave the state, I'm only 500 miles away. :D :s pin:

In other words, as far away to the West as Slorydn is to the east in the Carolina's. Lets face it, if not for the race track, Bristol would be a very quiet place in many ways...

[muggle not]

Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park are only 2-3 hours away, and if you are into kitsch , there's always Dollywood, a theme park owned by Dolly Parton. :D It is probably closer to 2 hours to Gatlinburg which is a nice tour. Also you are less than 1 1/2 hours to Asheville, NC. A tour of the Biltmore Estate is worthwhile among many other attractions there. also, dont forget a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway which has fantastic scenery.

[slorydn1]

It is probably closer to 2 hours to Gatlinburg which is a nice tour. Also you are less than 1 1/2 hours to Asheville, NC. A tour of the Biltmore Estate is worthwhile among many other attractions there.


Very True :up: The wifey and I have been up there 3 times...its best in the though

[slorydn1]

Just watch out for the rockslides in the area...Weather channel just reported one off US-321 near Knoxville, and I-40 west of Asheville has been closed for months because of one

[colinspooky]

Hi
Thanks all - just got back - great racing. Not much else to do though. Been to Ashville, done Biltmore, drove along Blue Ridge, all in a previous trip to Charlotte.

So we did shopping and eating. Nice.

[jeffmr2]

Hi
Must have been a great experience being there.I've always wanted to go but thought it impossible to get tickets,that didnt look to be the case this year.For future reference could you tell me please where did you fly to and where stay,how far from track etc.Thanks.

[Fred Basset]

tickets have been easy to get there for 5 years, not the sell out it used to be. Plenty of empty seats again

[wedge]

tickets have been easy to get there for 5 years, not the sell out it used to be. Plenty of empty seats again

Including the August night race?

[colinspooky]

soo simply. Call the box office and chat to the girls there - so helpful. And yes, there was a shameful number of seats available - good ones too.

We stayed at Comfort Suites, Johnson City - manager there is brilliant.

Flew Virgin from Heathrow to Washington and took an Enterprise rental car from there. They are also helpful and cheap.

All done with email and phone. Let me know if you want a list of the numbers I used.

No idea about August race - know that is more popular, but the ticket office will help. You pay for them with a card and pick them up at the main office building at the window marked "will call".

Hope that helps and go - it was incredible. Ears still ringing :eek:

[Mark in Oshawa]

Colin..glad you enjoyed yourself, and if your ears are ringing...you I hope at least put some form of hearing protection in or over your ears???

Also..not sure when you are going home, but I THINK the NHRA boys are in Charlotte in the next week or so...and they will be going 4 wide for the first time. If you think NASCAR was loud...well heheheheheh

[colinspooky]

Yep home now - they had a top fuel on the start straight on Bristol's race day - revved it a couple of times - it was up on stands, but my other half almost came out of her seat - very funny. I felt her jump as I was recording it. Been years since I was last at a drag meet, and was also surprised at the noise, mind you, those were Brit drag meets - never heard a US car before, so wooooow !!!!!

Would love to go to a US meet - will do one day perhaps, just so expensive getting there.